Ryan's Review: "Relax" by Das Racist

Score: 8/10

Brooklyn based hip-hop trio hits hard with their first commercially released album.

Das Racist has always had a unique and fresh sound to them. Ever since their debut in 2008 with the amusing and ridiculously catchy single "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell" and two  momentous critically acclaimed mixtapes, "Shut Up, Dude" and "Sit Down, Man", released in 2010 the group has been a force to be reckoned with.

So, does "Relax" manage to continue the trend of greatness from Heems, kool ad, and Dap? In short: yes. Das Racist's beats and lyrics have progressed such a great deal in the past few years and I believe this is the culmination of their career so far. Das Racist's style is very different a lot of today's mainstream hip hop and rap. But for what they do and how they do it, it works amazingly well. Most songs from Das Racist have infectious hooks that will stick in your mind for hours, even days. The best example is from the first single from the album, the hard hitting "Michael Jackson". When you first hear the hook/chorus ("Michael Jackson, a million dollars, you feel me?") it will stay in your mind, be it for a few hours, or for a few days.  The lyrics from Das Racist are unique, in that they never seem like they're going anywhere or that they don't have a point. The thing is a lot of their lyrics are a great commentary on things like race, capitalism, and other aspects of society. The best part is, it's done in a roundabout and silly way. The album does have its lows, but even its lows aren't even that low. There are a few songs like "Booty in the Air" and "Middle of the Cake" that just don't hit with me. They seem to throw off the flow of the album a bit. Also, as great as their production is, there are a few songs where it's just alright. It's nothing all that special. They also added a few songs ("Rainbow in the Dark" and "Shut Up, Dude") from their  mixtapes, which would be fine except, they're unchanged. They're not bad songs at all, in fact "Rainbow in the Dark" is one of my favorite songs from them, I just don't like that they didn't change anything up for them at all.

Overall, this album is something you don't want to miss, it's a solid first true album by a groundbreaking new group in hip hop.

Tracks you'll love: "Happy Rappy" "Michael Jackson" "Rainbow in the Dark"

Tracks you can skip: "Booty in the Air" "Middle of the Cake"

Single of the week: "Bonfire"- Childish Gambino

Actor/Comedian Donald Glover does it again as his rapper alter-ego Childish Gambino. His words hit so hard in this new song off his upcoming album "Camp" the song honestly just speaks for itself. His word play is so top notch that you need to listen to it multiple times to catch everything he throws at you. You'll probably be listening to it multiple times anyway for the beat alone. I cannot recommend this song enough. You can pick it up on iTunes or listen to it on iamdonald.com. Do yourself a favor and listen to this.  ­­­­­­­­